Insecure childhood (October 2008)

“Uncertain times” was the general topic of the 34th Congress of the German Sociological Association held from October 6-10, 2008. GESIS takes this opportunity to dedicate an edition of “Research Special” to the topic of “Insecure childhood.”.

Modern Germany will, for the first time, have many children growing up who will experience a lesser degree of prosperity, have fewer educational opportunities and less social security and also experience less time for simply being a child, with their parents, friends or at school than did their parents. The state of a society is, however, often measured by children’s quality of life and their life situation, and here the consensus of what factors typically constitute a “good life” and “social equity” is comparatively large. This constellation puts the spotlight on the conditions of childhood, whereby there are a variety of perspectives from politics, the media and research. Unequal, disadvantaged childhoods, chances for social participation and the perpetuation of structures encouraging discrimination are examined in terms of equality and justice in addition to the socialization effects of a deprived life situation.

The freedom aspects of uncertainty – freedom to decide, openness, creative uncertainty, repositioning, utilization of individual growth potentials; are the core of the educational image of the child. But precisely with respect to childhood, it can be demonstrated how these freedoms are based on relative stability and how biographical options are limited in times of uncertainty.

This information service encompasses a selection of current social science literature references and research projects on this topic, all briefly highlighting various “fields of insecurity.”.

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